


The Most Beautiful Thing in The World

by Thatonegayone



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Call the Midwife AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21637018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatonegayone/pseuds/Thatonegayone
Summary: “Emma Nolan,” the girl — Emma — smiled and shook Alyssa’s hand. Something about the feeling of Emma’s palm pressed against hers sent electricity though Alyssa.“Oh! Nolan? As in Nurse Nolan?”“The very same.” She said with a smile, following Alyssa as she racked up her bicycle fro Trent to look over.Alyssa turned around and smiled, brushing her hands off on the apron of her uniform. “Well, Nurse Nolan. Welcome to nonnatus house
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 25
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

“Okay Mrs. Corbin, I’m going to need you to push,” Alyssa said with a smile, looking up at the woman from her perch at the foot of the bed. 

“I don’t think I can.” She replied through erratic breaths. “It hurts, I don’t want to do this anymore.” 

“I know it hurts Mrs. Corbin, but we are almost there, a few more big pushes and baby will be here.” Alyssa reassuringly rubbed Mrs. Corbin’s leg before bracing herself for the baby to come. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.” 

Mrs. Corbin let out a cry, pushing with all her might, and the room was pierced with the high pitched cry of a baby. Alyssa did her part and helped the baby out the best she could, and finally, there it was: one head, ten fingers and ten toes, laying on the bed.

“It’s a girl!”” Alyssa said as she cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the baby girl in a towel. “Mrs. Corbin, you have a baby girl.”

Alyssa rode back to nonnatus house on her bicycle, smiling all the way. There was nothing quite like a successful delivery to put a smile on her face. She was almost lost in her world of joy that she didn’t notice the girl standing in front of the house. The girl she was headed straight towards

Alyssa swerved her bike out of the way at the last minute, compromising her balance and skidding on the cobblestones. 

The girl ran to Alyssa’s side, sliding down onto her knees. “Are you okay?” Her eyes sparkled hazel behind a pair of glasses.

“I think so,” Alyssa groaned holding her hand out to the girl who helped her up off the street. “I’m Alyssa Greene, by the way.” 

“Emma Nolan,” the girl — Emma — smiled and shook Alyssa’s hand. Something about the feeling of Emma’s palm pressed against hers sent electricity though Alyssa.

“Oh! Nolan? As in Nurse Nolan?” 

“The very same.” She said with a smile, following Alyssa as she racked up her bicycle for Trent to look over. 

Alyssa turned around and smiled, brushing her hands off on the apron of her uniform. “Well, Nurse Nolan. Welcome to nonnatus house.”  
— —  
“Nurse Nolan will be staying with Nurse Greene,” Sister Deidre, although everyone called her Sister Dee Dee, said with a small smile. “I expect that’s alright with you Alyssa?”  
Alyssa’s heart leaped in her chest. “Of course! I’d love the company!” She leaned over to Emma and whispered, “gets a little lonely with only the nuns and Shelby here.” 

“Well, I’ll be more than happy to help out,” Emma gave a friendly wink and a nudge to Alyssa. 

“Well, Nurse Greene, please help get Nurse Nolan moved in and then start showing her the ropes, Sister Angela and I agreed that it’d be best if Nurse Nolan accompanied you on your midwifery rounds.” Sister Dee Dee said. The smile melting away to focus on the business at hand. 

“Sounds good to me, the extra hands are always appreciated. Mrs. Goodman is due with twins any minute, and if they’re anything like her first child we will be in for a very long labor.” 

“Well, I’ll pack some snacks,” Emma said with a smile. “But first can I drop off my bags? I’d like to check out the new digs.” 

Alyssa lead Emma up the wooden stairs and down the hall to the last room on the left. “There isn’t anyone in the rooms around us, so it’ll be nice and quiet.” She leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eye and added, “plus it means we can play records and have a few drinks without anyone noticing.”

Emma’s laughter filled the room. “I think I can get behind that!” 

“Are you ready to go help out some mothers?” Alyssa asked as Emma put her suitcase down on her bed. 

“Let’s go deliver some babies.”  
— —  
“Alright Miss Hayfair,” Emma said, blowing an errant blonde curl off of her forehead. “Baby is coming and they’re coming fast. One big push with this next contraction, okay?” 

Miss Hayfair nodded, squeezing the dickens out of Alyssa’s hand as the contraction coursed through her body. Alyssa smiled through the pain of her hand being crushed and dabbed at Miss Hayfair’s forehead with a washcloth. Watching Emma help lead Miss Hayfair through delivery was a sight to see — it made sense that Emma came to nonnatus house on the highest recommendations from her training hospital.

“Okay, one more big push, can you do it?” Emma gave a reassuring smile to Miss Hayfair who took a deep breath and pushed with all her might, bruising Alyssa’s hand in the process. The room was suddenly filled with the crying of a baby and Emma motioned for Alyssa to help her. 

Alyssa grabbed the tools to cut the umbilical cord while Emma helped with the afterbirth. The baby boy smiled up at Alyssa as she wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to Miss Hayfair. As the mother held her baby, Alyssa went to help Emma tidy up the bed. Emma was still blowing the piece of hair from her face, not being able to do anything about it due to the bloody gloves on her hands. 

“Here, let me,” Alyssa said, leaning forward and tucking the lock of hair behind Emma’s ear, hoping Emma didn’t see the blush creeping up on her cheeks. Emma smiled, leaning into Alyssa’s touch before clearing her throat and getting back to work. 

“Alright Miss Hayfair, we are going to give baby his bath and then I think we will be good to go! Nurse Greene or I will be coming in to check on you twice a day throughout this next week.” Emma gently took Baby Hayfair to the kitchen, filling up a basin with warm water and giving him his first bath.  
— —  
Emma collapsed on her bed in nonnatus house as Alyssa pulled off her hat and the pins in her hair, letting her brunette curls tumble down her back. 

“You do this every day?” Emma sighed, rubbing her tired feet as Alyssa tittered around the room, making two old fashioneds. Handing one to Emma and sitting across from her with a smile. 

“Yes! It’s tiresome but good work, you’ll get used to it after a while.” They clinked glasses and each sipped from their drinks. “And, since Sister Angela is minding the phone, we should be able to expect Shelby any minute now.” 

And, as if on cue, Shelby Gonzales trudged into the room and threw herself face-first on the bed. “I just delivered twins. Breach. That was a five-hour labor.” She said with her face muffled in Alyssa’s pillow. 

“Well, Mother and Babies are happy and healthy, so you did a good job Shel.” Alyssa rubbed small circles onto her back. “But get your face out of the pillow and introduce yourself to Emma here.” 

Shelby sprung up out of the bed like she was shocked. “My apologies, love. I’m Shelby.” She gave her most winsome smile and extended her hand to Emma who shook it. 

“Emma. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“You as well!” Shelby gushed, “Lyssa, do you have another one of those for me?” She pointed at the glass in Alyssa’s hand. 

Alyssa stood up and handed her drink to Shelby before going to her bar cart and making another drink. “Emma? Where are you from?” 

“Bampton! Lived there with my Gran on the farm. That’s how I got into midwifery, actually. Helping birth the calves on the farm. Gran saw I had a knack for it and practically sold the farm so I could go to nursing school.” Emma said, her voice going soft and gentle when she spoke about her grandmother. The amount of love in her eyes was almost overwhelming for Alyssa, she had never seen anyone look like that when they spoke of someone before. 

“And now you’re in Edgewater!” Shelby raised her glass and clinked it to Emma’s. 

“And now I’m in Edgewater.” Emma repeated with a smile. “That being said, I am tuckered out and I was hoping we could just go to bed after this?” 

Alyssa’s eyes got big and a seedling of guilt took root in her stomach, quickly blooming when she saw just how tired Emma was. “Oh my, of course! Shel, down it then I’m kicking you out.” Alyssa said, putting her hand on the bottom of Shelby’s glass as she drank, gently pushing it up until the girl finished the drink. 

“My bad, night girls. I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.” Shelby said with a wave as she walked out of the bedroom. “Welcome to nonnatus house again, Emma.” 

“Thank you Shelby, sleep well.” Emma smiled, finishing off her drink. She got up off of her bed and began changing out of her nurses uniform into pajamas. Alyssa blushed and turned away, but not before catching a glimpse of soft pale skin. 

Alyssa busied herself with preparing herself for bed, trying to shake the thoughts of her new roommate. It was 1962 after all, and those thoughts could end up getting Alyssa arrested. Or worse. 

She took a deep breath and crawled under the covers of her twin bed, looking over to see Emma already fast asleep. Alyssa smiled to herself and turned the lamp off, plunging the room into a comfortable darkness, and laid down for sleep to take her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff, some plot, some bed sharing.

“Emma,” Alyssa hissed, throwing a pillow at the blonde who was sleeping soundly. The morning sun was peeking through the curtains in their room, signaling that it was time for the girls to get out of bed and face the day. “Emma.”

The blonde rolled over in her bed and buried her face into the pillow and mumbled something incoherent. 

“Emma, I’m not kidding, Sister Dee Dee will skin you alive if you’re not down for breakfast.” Alyssa slipped out of the warmth of her bed and started to change out of her nightgown and into her nurse’s uniform.  
“Don’t want to.” She mumbled into her pillow. 

“Emma, I am going to pull you out of that bed feet first if you don’t get up,” Alyssa huffed as she pinned her hair back into its trademark beehive. She turned around to face Emma still wrapped up in her covers and sighed. She did look awful comfortable in her oodles of blankets, her hair strewn about like the most adorable bird’s nest. 

Shaking her head Alyssa walked towards the foot of Emma’s bed and pushed the covers to the side. Emma’s feet, now exposed to the cold air recoiled up and under the blankets followed by Alyssa who grabbed the blonde by the ankles and pulled hard. Emma squealed as she was pulled out from under the covers, clutching her pillow to her chest. 

“Alyssa Greene, you’re going to pay for that!” Emma laughed, now wide awake and jumping out of bed to chase a giggling Alyssa around the room.

They ran around the room until Emma managed to vault over Alyssa’s bed and tackle the brunette to the ground, landing on top of her. Both girls were trying to catch their breath, nose to nose and Alyssa got lost in the sparkling pair of hazel eyes above her. Alyssa’s heart was racing, but not from being chased around the room, it was hammering in her chest over her sheer proximity to Emma Nolan, smiling above her. 

Alyssa reached her hand up to tuck an errant curl behind Emma’s ear when the door swung open to show a bleary-eyed Shelby. Alyssa threw her hand down to the ground with a loud thwack and she winced in pain. 

“Lyssa, it’s breakfa— Why are you both on the floor?” Her head cocked to the side at the sight of Emma in flannel pajamas laying on top of a fully dressed Alyssa, both girls blushing something fierce. “You know what, nevermind, Trent made some strawberry jam and brought it this morning and you know that Barry is going to try and eat it all before we even get down there.” 

Alyssa jumped up at the sound of Trent’s jam — it was hands down one of the biggest perks of living in nonnatus house, however, it was never around longer than a few hours. Emma got up and started pulling on her nurse's uniform as Alyssa went downstairs and helped herself to toast and jam. 

Sister Dee Dee was already sitting at the head of the table, sipping tea and buttering her toast. “Nurse Greene, was Nurse Nolan helpful on Miss Hayfair’s delivery?” 

Alyssa nodded, busy chewing on her toast. She washed it down with a sip of tea and wiped the side of her mouth before speaking. “Yes! Emma was amazing with both mother and baby. I think she’s ready to have her own cases.” 

“Well that’s reassuring to hear. We’ll put her on district rounds until we get a new mother in the clinic tomorrow.” Sister Angie nodded into her tea. 

Emma rushed down the stairs, pulling on her maroon sweater and drawing all eyes at the table to her. She looked at Sisters Dee Dee and Angie sheepishly as she said, “Sorry, I’m not much of a morning person. Alyssa quite literally had to pull me out of bed.”

“Well, hopefully, Nurse Greene won’t be called out before she has time to wake you up until you’re used to our schedule, Nurse Nolan.” Sister Dee Dee said with a reprimanding tone but a twinkle in her eye. The ringing of the telephone cut through the chatter at the breakfast table and Alyssa jumped up to answer it. 

Alyssa hung up the phone after getting her first summons of the day and ran back into the dining room, grabbing a piece of toast and downing her tea. “Mrs. Glennon is in labor and since it’s her fourth, I have a feeling things will be moving very quickly.” 

“Good luck, and be sure to bring both your cardigan and cape as well as your gloves,” Sister Angie said. “It’s cold enough to give you frostbite if you’re not careful.” 

Alyssa waved her gloves in the air to say that she heard her, as she ran out the door to the bike shed. She secured her bag under the fiddly basket cover and wrapped her scarf around her nose and mouth before taking off into the windy morning.

She maneuvered through the streets until she heard the tell-tale screaming of Mrs. Glennon rip its way down the street through the open window. Alyssa gracefully jumped off her bike and grabbed her bag, heading up the stairs to the painted number five on the door. 

Alyssa knocked on the door with a loud “Midwife calling!” and was suddenly face to face with three very nervous looking men. 

One was familiar to Alyssa — Mr. Glennon — who she had seen with the same worried look at the past two deliveries. However, the other two were strangers. One was a tall man with tanned skin, his eyes were sparkling and matched his crisp blue shirt. The other was shorter and he had red hair and a smattering of freckles across his face. 

“Thank God, Nurse Greene, she’s been hollering something fierce. We’re worried something’s wrong.” Mr. Glennon blurted out as they walked to the bedroom. 

Worried fathers were nothing new for Alyssa, but it was rare that she ever saw more than a husband waiting outside the delivery room. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it when there was a mother screaming her head off in the other room. “Can you sweeties do me a favor and get me some hot water and fresh towels? I have a feeling we are going to need it.” 

The two men on the couch jumped up and one ran to the sink while the other rummaged through the hall closet. Alyssa took a breath and smiled as she walked into the bedroom to find a red-faced Mrs. Glennon doing her best to work through her breathing exercises. 

“Well, Hannah, it looks like you’ve got this all in hand.” Alyssa said as she pulled out her Pinard and listened to the baby's heartbeat. “Not to mention it looks like you’ve got three men waiting on you hand and foot.” 

“It’s my brother and his roommate,” Mrs. Glennon said in the reprieve between contractions. 

Alyssa hummed in response as she felt Mrs. Glennon’s belly, her smile fell when she felt something… off. She dipped down to look and manually inspect Mrs. Glennon and Alyssa sighed. 

“Hannah,” Alyssa said as she pulled the blankets off of the bed and put them on the chair in the corner. “Baby is breech, so I’m going to need you to change up your position, can you do that for me?” 

Mrs. Glennon’s face was panicked and Alyssa put on her most reassuring smile, this wasn’t her first breech delivery, but it was always scary for the mothers. “Is my baby okay?” 

“Baby is going to be just fine, let me help you move. Bottom off the bed please.” Alyssa took Mrs. Glennon’s hand and helped position her in the right position. She checked again and gave a smile to the soon-to-be-fourth-time mother. “Looks like she’s on her way.” 

Alyssa saw Mrs.Glennon poke her head up to look at Alyssa with an exhausted smile, “Girl?”

“Yes, girl. You’re having a daughter!” Alyssa said as she helped the baby out up to her shoulders. 

“Oh they’re gonna love that!” Mrs. Glennon cried as Alyssa let the baby hang and let gravity do its job. Sure enough the baby slid out and started crying louder than her mother did a few moments ago. 

Alyssa wrapped the little girl up in a blanket and got her clamps and scissors to cut the umbilical cord. The baby’s crying summoned the three men from their place in the living room, each looking into the room with teary smiles. 

“Is it alright if we come in, Nurse?” Mr. Glennon said, looking at his wife like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

“If it’s alright with Mrs. Glennon, then it’s alright with me.” Alyssa said, handing Baby Glennon to her mother.  
“Come on, Jack get a look at her.” But she wasn’t talking to her husband, instead the tall man men came forward and took the baby from her mother. Looking from his face to Mrs. Glennon’s and back again, Alyssa surmised that Jack must be her brother. Alyssa still couldn’t figure out who the redheaded man was, but the way he was looking at the little girl in Jack’s arms made Alyssa think he must have been family as well. 

Alyssa finished her check for both mother and baby and left the Glennon house with a smile. Well, the smile fell as soon as she stepped outside to a proper snowstorm. She brushed off her bicycle and rode off to nonnatus house. If she was lucky she’d be able to put her feet up for a few minutes before going to clinic. 

— — 

“I swear to the lord almighty, why do we keep Trent on as a handyman if he can’t fix the bloody heater!” Shelby said through gritted teeth as she poured whiskey into her cup of cocoa. 

“Maybe he just wasn’t ready for the cold snap.” Emma looked up from underneath her pile of blankets, looking something like a marshmallow with her chunky sweater over her robe. She was clutching to her mug like it was her only lifeline to this Earth. 

“Well, he should at least have been prepping it! Winter was bound to come no matter what.” Shelby pulled the covers of Alyssa’s bed over herself. 

Alyssa opened the door to her room to find her two friends chatting. “Gosh, didn’t know we were having a pow-wow tonight, thought we’d need to conserve our energy to try and create some body heat.” 

Shelby laughed and threw the covers back on the bed to let Alyssa in and Emma leaned over to hand Alyssa the extra mug. Alyssa looked at Shelby curiously, “Come on ‘Lyssa, what’s a snuggle between friends?” Shelby said with a friendly smile. 

Alyssa conceded and curled up with her steaming mug besides Shelby who fixed the blankets over them. Alyssa looked over and saw something sad flash in Emma’s eyes, but it was gone within an instant. 

The girls laughed and chatted until they all drifted off to sleep. Shelby made an effort to go back to her room, but both girls wouldn’t hear of it. Shelby’s room was in the back of the house, making it much colder than their already freezing room, plus Alyssa had grown quite comfortable having the extra body heat next to her. 

That morning Alyssa woke up with Shelby sleeping next to her, and suddenly it all felt wrong. Not having someone sleeping next to her — that she rather enjoyed. It was the woman next to her. She looked over to see Emma still dead asleep and her heart fluttered and it cemented what she was worried about. 

She had a crush on Emma Nolan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my loves! Kudos and comments keep me writing (maybe not this fic, but since i have like 4 WIP, it'll be writing for one of those)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, Mrs. Glennon, I think we are just about ready to start sending you to clinic with young Beatrix here.” Alyssa said after writing down that the smiling baby she was holding in one arm had gained four ounces since her last visit. 
> 
> Mrs. Glennon looked up from her folding with an expression Alyssa couldn’t quite place — fear? Nerves? No, that couldn’t be it, it was only clinic, Hannah went with her three boys to clinic before no problem.

“Well, Mrs. Glennon, I think we are just about ready to start sending you to clinic with young Beatrix here.” Alyssa said after writing down that the smiling baby she was holding in one arm had gained four ounces since her last visit. 

Mrs. Glennon looked up from her folding with an expression Alyssa couldn’t quite place — fear? Nerves? No, that couldn’t be it, it was only clinic, Hannah went with her three boys to clinic before no problem. 

“Do we have to, Nurse?” Mrs. Glennon asked, taking Beatrix from Alyssa and bouncing her a little. “I just — she doesn’t really enjoy leaving the house, and I’ve just been run ragged with the boys, and my brother and his roommate in town, not to mention Reg has been pulling extra shifts at the docks.” 

“Mrs. Glennon—” 

“Just call me Hannah, Nurse Greene. You’ve delivered three of my kids now, and you’ve seen things Reggie hasn’t even seen. So, please, just Hannah.” Mrs. Glennon — Hannah — gave a laugh that had Alyssa smiling. 

“Of course, Hannah.” Alyssa said as she packed up her bag. “Why don’t you want to go to the clinic? Is it some anxiety? Or because Beatrix is your first girl?” 

“No. No, it’s not any of that.” Hannah said, shaking her head. Alyssa could see the gears turning in her head to try and come up with what to say. “Nurse Greene, can I tell you a secret?” 

Alyssa’s eyebrow quirked up but she gave a smile and a nod and moved to sit next to Hannah. 

“I’m not keeping her.” Hannah almost whispered, not bearing to look Alyssa in the eye. “I’m not keeping her.” 

Alyssa tried to keep her face as neutral as possible, but she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Hannah, I don’t — I don’t understand what you’re telling me.” 

“My brother. Him and his roommate are… well they’re together. They’re not just roommates, they’re a couple.” Hannah gave a small smile at the baby in her arms. “They’ve been together since before me and Reg, and they’re great. And I know it’s not allowed, but they’ve hidden this well so far. They’re great uncles to the boys, and Jack was telling me how much he wanted a kid of his own — so he and Anthony could be like a real family.” 

Alyssa sat there and took in all the information that Hannah was throwing at her, trying to keep her head from reeling — she had never seen anyone care this much about someone like Jack. Someone like her. And it was quickly becoming a very emotional conversation for her. 

“So when I realized I was pregnant again, I told Reg and he agreed that we should give her to Jack and Anthony. We can just barely afford three kids, and it wouldn’t be fair to her to be living hand to mouth when there’s two people who I know will love and take care of her.” Hannah whispered as Beatrix slumbered in her arms.

“How can I help?” Alyssa asked, reaching out to put her hand on Hannah’s forearm. 

They talked and planned in hushed tones as to not wake the baby. Alyssa left the Glennon house twenty minutes later with pride filling her heart that she would be able to help build a new sort of family. 

She breezed through the rest of her home visits and dinner. Smiling and nodding when needed, but in the haze of the feeling of doing something truly unique and worthwhile. Only snapping out of it when she was face to face with Emma in their room. 

“What in the world has gotten into you today, ‘Lys?” Emma asked, handing their traditional whiskey nightcap to Alyssa. “You’ve been smiling like a loon and I know you had to see Mrs. Haversham today and she’s the actual worst.” 

Alyssa sipped her drink, trying to hide the face she instinctively made from drinking straight whiskey. They may have been doing this for a month now, but Alyssa didn’t think she’d ever be used to drinking her alcohol without any sort of mixer. Emma insisted that was how Alyssa was supposed to drink the whiskey that her grandmother sent over with a tin of cookies. 

“And your silence is definitely making me nervous. What is happening?” Emma moved to sit on her bed across from Alyssa, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. 

Alyssa stayed quiet, trying to figure out whether she should tell Emma the truth or not. If Emma wasn’t okay with the kind of people Anthony and Jack — and Alyssa — were, then she’d be putting them at risk. But then, it was Emma. Emma was one of the kindest people she had ever met, and if anyone was okay with the queer community, it would have to be her. 

“It’s a secret.” Alyssa whispered, watching as Emma’s eyes lit up as she leaned in closer, almost nose-to-nose with the brunette. 

Emma smiled and looked down at her hands for a beat before making eye contact with Alyssa again. “I’m good at keeping secrets.” 

“You promise not to tell anyone?” Alyssa asked softly, her eyes searching for something in Emma’s eyes. 

Emma nodded. 

“I’m helping a family.” Alyssa said, careful of her wording as to not let Emma know it was the Glennons. “They— well. The mother is giving her child away to her brother. They don’t have space and her brother and his… partner… have always wanted a baby, but can’t conceive one.” 

Emma sat there, watching Alyssa closely. “Have they tried adoption? I know a lot of parents who haven’t been able to conceive, so they adopted or fostered.” 

“It’s not that they haven’t tried, they would just get rejected right away and in some trouble.” Alyssa whispered, causing Emma to lean in just a fraction closer. Her proximity was making Alyssa’s head spin just a little as she tried to focus on what she was saying. 

“Why would they get in trouble? Him and his partner?” Emma was studying Alyssa’s face as she put two and two together. “His partner. Are they a man too?” 

Alyssa stayed quiet, dropping her eye contact with Emma and looked down at her hands. Emma took the silence as confirmation and she slipped off of her bed so she was on her knees in front of Alyssa, taking both of the brunette’s hands in hers. 

“Alyssa, I promise, I’m not like the people who’d judge someone for who they love.” Emma’s voice was genuine, causing Alyssa to look at her again. Emma was on the edge of tears. 

“They’re both men.” Alyssa said softly, surprised by the softness in Emma’s eyes. 

“You’re really brave for helping them, Lys.” Emma whispered, “I’m so proud of you.” 

She pulled the brunette nurse into a hug and they stayed like that for a few seconds. Every bit of Alyssa’s body was buzzing at the contact, but she was more distracted by Emma crying on her shoulder. 

Then, as if nothing had happened, Emma let go of Alyssa and scooped up her robe and towel and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving Alyssa standing in the middle of their room gobsmacked.   
Trent still hadn’t fixed the heater, insisting that the part that he needed was on backorder at the shop, which meant that Alyssa slipped into two more layers of clothes before climbing into bed. She tried to distract herself from her chattering teeth by reading her “Journal of Nursing”, and failing horribly. Emma ran into the room shivering, her hair still wet and Alyssa was worried the blonde was going to catch hypothermia.

“Sister Dee Dee isn’t going to be happy if you get pneumonia, you know.” Alyssa tried to hide a smile as she lifted the blankets as a silent invitation for Emma. Emma stood there for a second, looking from her bed to Alyssa’s and back again before the chill got the better of her and she nearly jumped underneath the covers next to Alyssa. 

Alyssa put down her magazine and turned off the light, fully laying down and trying to calm her racing heart as she felt Emma snuggle into her. But with some focused breathing that Alyssa taught to nervous mothers to help calm them down and their combined body heat making Alyssa rather comfortable, Alyssa managed to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Howdy Hey friendos. 
> 
> I'm on my CTM bullshit again, but this one is a shorter fic for me.   
> As always, thank you for reading and kudos and comments keep me writing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alyssa woke up face to face with a peaceful, sleeping Emma Nolan. A beam of morning light streamed through the window, shining on Emma like a spotlight. Alyssa stayed still as she took in the beauty of the girl in front of her, her eyes following the light freckles across Emma’s cheeks as if they were constellations. Alyssa smiled as Emma unconsciously reached for Alyssa and managed to pull her in closer so the girls were laying nose-to-nose.

Alyssa woke up face to face with a peaceful, sleeping Emma Nolan. A beam of morning light streamed through the window, shining on Emma like a spotlight. Alyssa stayed still as she took in the beauty of the girl in front of her, her eyes following the light freckles across Emma’s cheeks as if they were constellations. Alyssa smiled as Emma unconsciously reached for Alyssa and managed to pull her in closer so the girls were laying nose-to-nose.

Emma started to wake up, rubbing her face like she always did before opening her eyes — giving Alyssa enough time to close her eyes and pretend she was asleep instead of staring, hopelessly infatuated with her best friend. 

“Lys?” Emma whispered, gently brushing a piece of hair out of Alyssa’s face and tucking it behind her ear. Her fingers just barely lingered on Alyssa’s jaw. Alyssa’s stomach fluttered as she opened her eyes, making a show out of “waking up”. 

“Emma,” Alyssa’s voice was gravely from waking up. “Morning.” 

“Morning Alyssa,” Emma said softly. Her eyes were sparkling in the sunlight, taking Alyssa’s breath away. “Thanks for letting me bunk up with you. Hopefully, Trent will fix the heater so we won’t have to make this a habit.” 

Alyssa’s stomach dropped. Then she remembered. Emma wasn’t like her. Emma was not going to have the same feelings that Alyssa had. Emma was normal. 

All of a sudden the bed was far too warm and Emma was way too close. Alyssa threw the blankets off and forced herself to start getting ready. 

Alyssa busied herself with fastenings and stockings, getting dressed in her nurse’s uniform in record time. Managing to not look at Emma until she was fixing her hair when she caught a glance of the blonde through the mirror. Something in Emma’s eyes looked sad, but Alyssa pushed down her curiosity and focused on pinning her hair up. 

The phone started to ring and Alyssa heard the muffled voice of a very tired Shelby through the closed door, “Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.” Followed by the sound of footsteps and a gentle knock at the door. “Lyssa? Em? Are you decent?” 

Both girls instinctually said “no” and “absolutely not” with a smile as Shelby let herself into the room. She had bags under her eyes and her curly hair was falling out of its bun. “Lyssa, you’re first on call. It’s the Hansen family, Sister Angie said she has the addresses of your home checks on the phone table so you can go straight to.” 

“I’m on it, thanks Shel.” Alyssa said as she grabbed her cardigan and headed down the stairs where Sister Dee Dee was waiting with a plate of toast and a teacup. She made sure Alyssa swallowed down a couple of bites before she ran to her bicycle and headed towards the Hansen house.

— — 

“I’m so sorry Mrs. Hansen, but I think this was just some practice contractions,” Alyssa said, pulling her gloves off after the internal exam. “I have a feeling we will be meeting your baby tomorrow though, so just call us when your waters break and I’ll be here in a jiffy.” 

Mr. Hansen led Alyssa to the door and she checked her list for her home visits. “I guess we will see you when it's time, Nurse Greene.” 

“Yes sir, just give us a call.” She leaned in to whisper to Mr. Hansen with a smile, “and please make sure she takes it easy.” He nodded and closed the door behind Alyssa as she headed to her bike and pointed it towards the Glennon house. 

Alyssa was welcomed into the Glennon home with a cup of tea and a hug from Anthony. Jack was sitting on the sofa, bottle feeding baby Beatrix. “Nurse Greene! It’s good to see you one last time.” Jack said, putting Beatrix’s bottle on the side table. 

Alyssa put her bag down on the kitchen table, “one last time?” 

Anthony handed Alyssa her tea and sat down next to Jack, gently taking Beatrix and helping burp her over his shoulder. “We’re headed back home to Scotland tomorrow with Bea.” 

“—And we wanted to say thank you for all of your help and for being so accepting of us,” Jack said, watching Anthony and Beatrix with love in his eyes. It made Alyssa’s heart ache in the best way — maybe, someday, someone would look at her like that. 

“Oh, of course. I understand what it’s like having to hide your feelings for the one you love, and you’re no different than any other couple out there.” Alyssa said with a teary smile. The heartache began to feel like a knife, plunging into her chest. All she wanted was a love like theirs, but to admit that would mean losing her job, her home, and everyone in her life and those things were far too precious to even think about giving up.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Jack whispered with a glint in his eye. “We’re much better.” 

Alyssa weighed Bea one last time and replenished the stock of baby formula before giving a big hug to both Anthony and Jack, as well as a quick kiss to Bea’s forehead that made the baby laugh. They waved her a fond goodbye as Alyssa climbed on her bike and tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, peddling down the street.   
— —  
Her day went as expected, doing home visits and checking to make sure everything was ready for all future deliveries. She even bandaged up the knee of a little boy who was trying to sled down the icy street with the lid of a garbage pail. 

It was lunchtime by the time Alyssa made it back to nonnatus, and she couldn’t help but smile as she was greeted with warm air as she walked into her home. “I guess Trent finally fixed that heater,” she mumbled to herself, her smile dropping as she remembered Emma’s words from this morning. She did her best to shake it off as she walked into the dining room where Sister Angie was setting the table with sandwiches. 

Shelby was chatting with Sister Dee Dee and Barry, a local baker who made sure the cake tin at nonnatus was always full, and Trent was already sitting in his chair with a napkin tucked into the collar of his shirt. Emma wasn’t there yet, Alyssa guessed she must’ve been finishing her rounds. 

“I guess Emma will be late,” Sister Dee Dee said with a sad smile. She gave a nod to Angie who set a sandwich aside to put into the refrigerator for Emma. 

Lunch was an important thing at nonnatus. It was the one time in the day where everyone could be together and recuperate before going on with the rest of their busy days. It was the way that their little family got to be together with minimal interruptions, and just enjoy each other’s company. 

Something in Alyssa was sad that she wasn’t able to tell Emma about her visit to the Glennon’s house until later tonight. Another part of her was relieved that she wouldn’t have to feel her heart leap at Emma’s smiles, only for it to hurt a few seconds later.   
Shelby nudged Alyssa with her foot, throwing her a confused look and mouthing “are you okay?” Alyssa nodded and straightened up in her seat, pulling on a smile and leaning forward to tell Barry and Trent about most of her visits.   
— —  
Clinic went well. Alyssa smiled as she weighed babies and boiled urine, making sure to check in on the babies she delivered and to say hello to their mothers. However, she kept checking over her shoulder to see if Emma had snuck into the clinic late. But, there was no sign of the blonde nurse whatsoever, so she pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the work at hand. 

Thursdays were Alyssa’s one night off, and she couldn’t have been more excited at the thought of letting loose for a night and just being Alyssa, not Nurse Greene for a few hours. Once everything was cleared and cleaned up in the clinic, Alyssa all but ran back to nonnatus to get ready for her night — after the week she had, Alyssa was in desperate need of a drink.

She pulled on a pair of jeans and buttoned up her black shirt before swiping her favorite shade of red onto her lips. Then she headed to Gateways. 

Alyssa found Gateways a few years ago after hearing some girls whisper about a place where women could dance together. It took some subtle asking around, but sure enough, Alyssa found it and had been going there ever since. 

The room was already filled with laughter and conversation that dulled the sounds of Elvis coming from the jukebox in the corner. Alyssa smiled as she made her way to the bar, slipping past a group of women in leather jackets who nodded at her appreciatively. She made it to her regular spot in front of the bar and gave a small wave to the bartender. 

“Want the regular, Alyssa?” Kaylee said as she poured a drink for a girl in a blue polka dot dress. 

“You know me too well Kayles.” Alyssa laughed as Kaylee set a pre-made gin and tonic in front of Alyssa. “When do you get off?” 

“Fifteen more minutes,” Kaylee said, turning to face one of the women from the leather jacket posse and poured her another beer. “I can’t wait to get off my feet. Whoever said pregnancy was easy was lying through their teeth. Next time Nick says he wants a baby, he can be the one to carry it.” 

Alyssa couldn’t help but laugh at her friend. Kaylee and Nick had been together since they were teenagers, and every time Nick had some time off from the Navy, he was following Kaylee around like a lost puppy. On the nights Kaylee was working, Nick would serve as security for the bar, making sure no fights broke out, and everyone made it home safe and sound — that was why he was the only men who were welcome at Gateways, he made sure that everyone was safe and never judged the patronage for who they loved. 

Alyssa spun around in her seat to watch the dance floor while she sipped on her drink. She had never been much of a dancer, but there was something about seeing all of those couples swaying slowly to the beat that made her heart flutter and fill with hope. Maybe someday she would have someone to dance with like they all did. She was lost in a haze until the sound of breaking glass ripped her out of it. 

Kaylee was standing behind the bar with a look of shock, staring at a puddle between her feet that Alyssa immediately recognized.

Kaylee was having her baby. 

The women around the bar looked at each other, each had a slightly panicked look on their face. Alyssa put her nearly full drink on the bar and jumped over the counter separating her and Kaylee. 

“Kaylee, honey, I know this is probably a lot right now, but I need you to not panic. Okay? Can you do that for me?” Alyssa asked, rubbing the smaller girl’s back and trying to get her to take some calming breaths. She looked up to see nearly the entire bar staring at her for some sort of instruction. “You,” Alyssa pointed at the girl in the polka dot dress. “I need you to call nonnatus house and get them to send a midwife. A midwife, not a nun.” The girl nodded and scampered off to the phone booth outside. 

“How can we help?” A woman in a checked shirt asked, pushing through the crowd of stunned women. 

“I need the tables pushed together, towels and hot water,” Alyssa said. Kaylee screamed as the first contraction hit her like a freight train. “I also need you all to clear out, I don’t think Kaylee wants to be this close with her customers, and I’m afraid that watching a birth will ruin any desire you have to keep drinking here.” 

The women all laughed and went to work. Some clearing out, while the group of women in the leather jackets busied themselves with the tables, a few making sure everyone paid and left a generous tip. Soon enough, Alyssa and Kaylee were the only ones left in the bar as Alyssa helped her friend up onto the tables. 

“It’s not as comfortable as a bed, but this is what we’ve got, love,” Alyssa said with a laugh as Kaylee did her best to breathe through another contraction. She heard the door open and shut and looked over her shoulder to see Emma Nolan staring back at her with a confused look on her face. 

“Alyssa?” Emma was looking at the brunette like she was trying to piece together a difficult puzzle in her head.   
“Oh Emma, thank god it’s you,” Kaylee huffed. 

“Is Emma your midwife, Kaylee?” 

“No, she’s a customer. Comes in every Saturday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun fact, Gateways is a real place. Back in London in the 50s and 60s Gateways was like the bar for all the WLW. 
> 
> Anywho, thank you for reading. Love y'all big time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma pulled out a delivery kit from her bag and tossed a pair of gloves to Alyssa. Alyssa pulled them on while Emma went to tend to Kaylee. She threw a look of concern over her shoulder, motioning for Alyssa to come and help. It took Alyssa only a second to see what was wrong — Kaylee was losing a lot of blood very fast.

“A customer?” Alyssa’s voice was higher pitched than normal as she looked from Kaylee to Emma and back again. Emma’s eyes were wide, the look of fear was unmistakable. Kaylee nodded until she was hit with a painful wave of yet another contraction. “Kaylee, I need you to breathe, I think your baby is coming too quickly.” 

Emma pulled out a delivery kit from her bag and tossed a pair of gloves to Alyssa. Alyssa pulled them on while Emma went to tend to Kaylee. She threw a look of concern over her shoulder, motioning for Alyssa to come and help. It took Alyssa only a second to see what was wrong — Kaylee was losing a lot of blood very fast. 

Alyssa looked up at Emma who was trying hard to hide the worry across her features.”Kaylee, sweetie, is it alright if I do a quick internal examination?” Alyssa tried her best to keep her voice as steady and calm as possible. Kaylee nodded and Alyssa carried on, feeling for the baby’s head, but something was wrong. “Nurse Nolan, I need you to call Dr. Hawkins and an ambulance. Now.” 

Emma didn’t say anything, just nodded and ran for the door. Kaylee’s head popped up and she looked at Alyssa for some sort of an answer. Alyssa didn’t know quite what to say to her friend to calm her, so she put on her bravest face and smiled at Kaylee, reassuringly rubbing her leg. “Kaylee, it looks like the afterbirth is coming before the baby. And I guess you can tell that it normally comes after the baby, thus the name—”

“Lyssa, you’re rambling. Is my baby gonna die?” Kaylee’s voice was laced with anxiety. This was where it got dicey for Alyssa — in school they were told the importance of never promising too much to patients. There was nothing more heartbreaking or dangerous than instilling false hope into a patient only for them not to make it. 

“I— N— They—” Alyssa stammered, trying to find the proper words. Thankfully Emma came back into the bar, looking around the room in a panic. 

“Dr. Hawkins will be here in ten minutes, maybe less. Ambulance in twenty.” She huffed as she grabbed photos from the wall, scouring the entire bar for anything incriminating. “Alyssa, you were walking by on your way to the chip shop, someone came out — a man — and he told you what was happening. You came in and found Kaylee, called me and that’s that.”

Alyssa nodded, committing the story to memory. Emma stashed all of the pictures behind the bar, scanning the room once more, only stopping when she heard Kaylee let out a groan. “Kales, I know it hurts but I need you not to push. If you do you could hurt yourself or your baby.” Kaylee gritted her teeth and nodded at Alyssa. 

There was a knock at the door and Emma rushed to open it. Dr. Hawkins walked in, looking around curiously before his eyes landed on Kaylee. “Nurse Greene, Nurse Nolan, Mrs. Boomer. What are we working with?” 

“It looks like placental abruption,” Emma said softly while Alyssa busied herself making sure Kaylee was as comfortable as possible in this situation. Dr. Hawkins nodded to the blonde and put on a pair of gloves. 

“Mrs. Boomer, I’m going to do an internal exam just to check, is that alright?” His voice was calm, but Alyssa had worked alongside him enough to see his right hand shake as it did only when he was nervous. Kaylee managed to nod before another contraction ripped through her body, she was crushing Alyssa’s hand but Alyssa did her best to keep a calm face. Hawkins looked at Emma, his brow furrowed in concern. He nodded. “Nurse Nolan, please go outside to help lead the ambulance brigade here. They should be here any second.” 

Emma ran out of the room and was back within a minute with a group of volunteers from the ambulance brigade. They had a stretcher and one man was carrying a can of gas and air. Alyssa helped Kaylee onto the stretcher, refusing to let go of her hand, even snapping “I’m her midwife” at a volunteer who tried to separate them. 

Emma and Alyssa climbed into the back of the ambulance with Kaylee, doing their best to keep her calm. Emma kept checking the baby to make sure it wasn’t forcing itself out and rupturing the placenta. The ambulance came to a stop and the doors opened to a team of doctors and nurses ready with a rolling hospital bed. 

“We have a 24-year-old mother with placental abruption. Baby is ready to come and we need to get her into surgery right now.” Emma said in her most official voice. One of the doctors bristled at being ordered around by a midwife but nodded to the group who jumped into action to get Kaylee to the surgery wing.

Alyssa and Emma followed behind the group of doctors and nurses as far as they could until they were stopped by the matron. “You two did very well, but it’s late and you should go home and get cleaned up.” She gave the girls a quick once over, causing them both to look down and see bloodstains from Kaylee dotting their clothing. “We will keep Dr. Hawkins in the conversation about Mrs. Boomer, and you two may visit in the morning.” She gave a nod and disappeared behind two swinging doors. 

Alyssa looked at Emma who nodded towards the door with a shrug. Dr. Hawkins was walking into the hospital and said a quick thank you to the two before rushing into the surgical wing. Alyssa and Emma walked to the bus stop, shivering in the frigid January air. They didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but Alyssa kept hearing Kaylee’s voice saying “she’s a customer” echo in her head over and over again. 

“Em,” Alyssa said softly, taking in the view of her roommate and best friend glowing under the streetlights. “I— I’m glad it was you who came.”

Emma was quiet for a moment, her hazel eyes focused on Alyssa. “Me too. Kaylee is a good person and I’m glad I was able to help her.”

“How long have you been going to Gateways?” Alyssa’s voice was quiet as if being too loud would ruin the moment. 

“A few months now,” Emma said. This was nothing like Alyssa thought it would be, it wasn’t scary or cold. She didn’t feel like she had to defend herself in any way because Emma knew what it was like. Alyssa felt safe. “You?” 

“A few years. I started going a little after I came to Nonnatus. I saw some report in the paper about it — they were saying how it was a place that ruined young women, and it doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out what they meant by that.” Emma gave a knowing nod. “Kaylee was the first person who talked to me there, she introduced me to a few people, but nothing really went past a dance and a drink.” 

“Do you ever want anything more than a dance and a drink?” Emma asked, her words filled with a warmth that made Alyssa blush. 

“I think so, I just need to find the right dance partner, I guess.” Alyssa tried to say more but was cut off by the doubledecker bus pulling up to the stop. 

They climbed on and paid their fourpence to the driver, sitting comfortably in silence as they headed back to Nonnatus. It wasn’t until they were back in their room and laying in their beds that either girl said anything. 

“It’s nice to have someone who knows,” Alyssa said as she looked up at the dark ceiling. “I’m glad it’s you.” 

She was met with silence followed by a light snore coming from Emma’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was kinda rough to write, I've been feeling some big burn out, but I was excited to do some full-on research and get this done. Thank you for reading my friends, I appreciate it more than I can say.


	6. Chapter 6

Alyssa woke as if nothing had happened the night before. Nothing was different between her and Emma. Well, there was that fluttering in her stomach at the thought that perhaps Alyssa’s feelings were not one-sided. But other than that, everything felt the same as it always had. 

Alyssa buttoned up her uniform and pulled on her cardigan while Emma was still dead asleep. The clock read a quarter to six, making the brunette smile to herself as she went about their morning routine of trying to wake Emma up. She sat on Emma’s bed while she tied her shoes, gently shaking Emma’s arm to try and wake her. Emma groaned a little and rolled onto her side, keeping her eyes closed. 

Alyssa couldn’t help but giggle at the sleeping nurse — Emma wasn’t a stubborn person unless it came to her right to sleep in. Still, she looked undeniably adorable to Alyssa, blonde curls fell across her face, slightly blowing with every exhale. Alyssa brushed the curls off of Emma’s face, tucking them behind her ear, trying (and failing) to stop her heart from fluttering at the contact. That fluttering only got worse when a still asleep Emma grabbed a surprised Alyssa’s hand and pulled her down to lay down next to her. 

Once again, Alyssa Greene found herself nose to nose with Emma Nolan, but this time Emma was holding her close, laying next to her in a way that Alyssa had only dreamed of. They laid there for a few moments, Alyssa hopelessly lost taking in the beauty of Emma. Emma only woke up when Shelby knocked on the door the way she always did in the mornings when she headed down to breakfast. 

Alyssa had always thought Emma was beautiful but seeing her face light up when she woke up to see Alyssa was the most breathtaking thing that Alyssa had ever seen. 

“Hi,” Emma’s voice was gravely the way it always was first thing in the morning, and it was intoxicating. Alyssa did her best to maintain eye contact with Emma even though every fiber of her being wanted to lean forward and kiss her. 

“Hi.” Alyssa’s voice was hardly more than a whisper. Then everything from last night came crashing down onto Alyssa, — everything that happened to Kaylee. “Emma, we have to go check on Kaylee and the baby after breakfast, Dr. Hawkins mentioned something about giving us a ride last night.” 

This was enough to fully wake Emma who nodded and got out of bed, slowly pulling on her uniform. Alyssa decided to give her some privacy to get ready for the day and headed downstairs to join the rest of nonnatus house for breakfast. 

Dr. Hawkins was already sitting at the breakfast table, munching on a crumpet and laughing about something with Sister Dee Dee. He smiled at Alyssa as she took her seat next to Shelby, helping herself to a piece of toast. Emma came down to the table and slipped into her seat next to Alyssa. 

“Alyssa,” Sister Dee Dee was pulled out of her conversation with the doctor. “I heard you were already with Mrs. Boomer before Emma. However, did you make it there before a midwife? And on your night off as well?” 

Alyssa’s stomach dropped and she felt Emma tense up next to her — if anyone knew what Gateways actually was Alyssa could lose everything. “I— I was walking to the tea shop to read, but then someone came rushing out and was running to the phone booth, I figured it had to be something medical so I ran in and found Mrs. Boomer there.” 

Sister Dee Dee nodded slowly, taking in the story. “Well, it’s a good thing you trusted your instincts. I don’t want to think what would have happened to Mrs. Boomer if you and Emma were not there.” 

“Same here,” Emma managed to say between a mouthful of toast. “She was the one who found the abruption. It would have taken me at least a few minutes to figure that out, and with something like that, every second counts.” 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Dr. Hawkins said as he stood up and put his napkin on the table. “And with that all being said, Nurse Greene, Nurse Nolan, would you like a ride to the hospital to check on Mrs. Boomer?” The girls nodded and quickly finished their breakfasts, following Dr. Hawkins outside into the chilly morning. 

The ride to the hospital was relatively short, Dr. Hawkins kept talking about the musicals that he had gone up to the West End to see on his nights off. This quickly turned into him and Emma scream-singing various Rodgers and Hammerstein classics while Alyssa looked out the window and tried hard not to smile too big at the doctor and nurse making complete fools of themselves. 

The matron in charge of the post-natal wing led the three to a curtained off area in the far back corner of the room. Mothers watched them as they made their way to the back, some craning their necks to try and see who was behind the curtains, while others looked at the procession with pity. The matron pulled back the curtain to show a pale but smiling Kaylee Boomer holding a sleeping baby. 

Alyssa let out a breath of relief that she didn’t realize she was holding. “Girls, Dr. Hawkins, I’d like you to meet Robin,” Kaylee said softly, gazing down at her baby’s face with adoration. 

Emma sat on the chair next to Kaylee’s bed, clearly enamored with baby Robin. Alyssa stood next to Dr. Hawkins, focused more on the saline drips and the bag of O negative that Kaylee was hooked up to. “How are you feeling, Kaylee?” Alyssa asked after a wave of pain passed over Kaylee’s face. 

“Not great,” Kaylee gave a breathy laugh, handing Robin over to Emma. “They said I was in surgery for three hours, the doctors ended up having to give me a cesarean and got both Robin and that pesky afterbirth in one go. There were a few issues, but I’m here and Robin’s here and that’s all that matters.” 

Emma hummed from her place next to Kaylee, gently bouncing Robin in her arms. They stayed by Kaylee’s bedside, sharing laughs and stories for a while until they all had to go to work for the day. Emma gave baby Robin a kiss on the forehead and Alyssa gave a reassuring squeeze to Kaylee’s hand with a promise that she would visit as much as possible until Kaylee was fully recovered and released. 

— — 

Life went back to normal at nonnatus house for Alyssa Greene. She delivered babies, gave insulin injections, stared longingly at Emma, and took care of her patients. Kaylee left the hospital after a few days of her delivery, and the owner of Gateways had reached out to Emma and Alyssa about a surprise party to celebrate the birth of baby Robin. It took a little convincing and promising to Shelby, but both women managed to get the night off to celebrate with the rest of the regulars. 

Kaylee and Robin laughed at the group of women who jumped up from every hiding spot that they could find in the club, Emma and Alyssa were seated at the bar and fully planned on taking full advantage of their promised “free drinks for life”. Women were dancing all around them, a few gushing over baby Robin who was eating up all of the attention, but everything stopped when the heavy wooden door was slammed open. 

Standing there was Nick Boomer. 

He was in his Navy uniform and had a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He scanned the bar with a smile that only grew when his eyes landed on his wife and daughter. The entire room was silent as Nick dropped his bag and ran to embrace Kaylee and Robin. 

“Is this—” His voice was quiet, almost in awe as he looked at the baby in Kaylee’s arms. 

Kaylee nodded with tears in her eyes, “This is your daughter, Robin.” 

“After Dad?” His voice was thick, it was as if he was trying to hold back tears as he reached out to hold his baby girl. Kaylee gave a watery smile and kissed his cheek, whispering how relieved she was to have him back. How happy she was to have their family together again. 

Kaylee filled Nick in on the delivery, he nearly crushed Alyssa in a hug, whispering thanks to her over and over again. He introduced himself to Emma and thanked her as well. The nurses brushed it off with “it’s our job” and “you would have done the same if you could have”, and took their drinks to an empty table to leave the happy couple to reconnect. 

Cliff Richards was playing on the jukebox and Alyssa watched as women paired up on the dance floor, holding each other close and swaying to the music.

“Well, you’ve had your drink, so how about a dance, Lys?” Emma said, putting her hand down and reaching her hand out to Alyssa. 

Alyssa could help the blush that bloomed across her cheeks. She had almost forgotten the conversation she and Emma had outside of the hospital as a way to not get her hopes up about Emma returning her feelings. “Why not?” Alyssa took Emma’s hand and tried not to notice the warmth that spread through her entire body at the contact. 

Emma led Alyssa to the dance floor and put her hand on Alyssa’s waist. They swayed to the music, nose to nose, Alyssa found herself getting lost in Emma’s eyes. 

Everything about the moment, the dance, the music, was pulling Alyssa further into Emma Nolan, making her need to be closer to her. Her eyes flickered down to Emma’s lips, noticing a small smile and a nod. She managed to push down any sort of doubt or fear for a moment as she leaned in. Emma closed the distance, and for the first time in her life, Alyssa felt truly alive. 

Alyssa pulled back from the kiss, not trying to hide her smile as she pressed her forehead against Emma’s. 

The music was the only thing that didn’t seem to fade away from their own little world. 

_When the girl in your arms is a girl in your heart, then you’ve got everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for joining me on this little adventure. I hope you had as much fun with it as I did. Thank you for reading, for the kudos, and for the comments, they mean the world to me. 
> 
> (Also, watch Call The Midwife, it's on Netflix, has canon lesbians, and is hands down one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen.)

**Author's Note:**

> I've gotten hooked on this show and I just had to write this. It won't be nearly as long as my other multi-chapter fics, but it'll be fun!


End file.
